Elaine Landriau was a woman of many talents – loving mother, devoted wife, dedicated educator, skilled seamstress – and right up to the end of her life – a conscientious hostess. As Elaine’s daughter remembers, “When nurses and other people would come over to the house to care for mom, she would pull me over [Read more… ]
Patient stories
Thanks for the memories
One of the many benefits our clinicians and volunteers receive from providing care to the Greatest Generation is the pleasure of listening to stories that may never be heard again. Sit down next to Clint Nordquist, 99, and you’ll be in for a treat. He will likely tell you about his experiences playing bass with [Read more… ]
Positive attitude and team-based support key to patient’s resilient spirit
CareOregon member and Housecall Providers patient Stephen Dedman often gets asked the same question: “How do you manage to keep your upbeat attitude?” Dedman, 59, who has been battling COPD for nearly 20 years responds the same every time: “I tell them that I have come to terms with my disease and with who I [Read more… ]
PCP surprises patient with a glimpse into her past
When Primary Care Provider Rachel Prusak, FNP, met patient Lucille Blende, 95, last autumn she knew she was going to be in for a treat. “Right off the bat I knew that Lucille was an extremely sharp woman,” Prusak said. Over the months that followed, she would come to fully understand the truth of that [Read more… ]
Hospice team helps a family find closure
Hospice care isn’t only about addressing the physical symptoms at the end of life, it is also attending to an individual’s emotional and spiritual needs. “Untie the knots” is a phrase that is heard occasionally within Housecall Providers Hospice. It refers to times that team members help free patients from those things anchoring them to [Read more… ]
Family grateful for the care loved one received on hospice
Marjorie Fitzpatrick, a former Housecall Providers Hospice patient, was a woman truly ahead of her time. She was someone who was passionate about people and dedicated her life to closing the gap that racial, cultural, and socioeconomic differences created. “Growing up in St. Louis, mom would host international students who were working on their graduate [Read more… ]
Patient truly thankful for in home medical care
Housecall Providers primary care patient Lenora “Mickey” Brown is no victim. Stricken with polio at the age five, she was resolved, even at such a young age, to never let the disease shape the type of person she would become. Now, 70 years later, it is clear that she has held true to that commitment. [Read more… ]
Honoring and celebrating (literally) the uniqueness of our patients
One of the reasons for Housecall Providers exceptional care is our willingness to listen to our patients when they convey their thoughts and feelings around treatment options and the kind of care desired at the end of the lives. But equally important are the non-medical interactions, times when our patients shares with us where they [Read more… ]
Memorial giving, a way for families to give back
The weeks before a homebound member of our community becomes a Housecall Providers patient can be some of the most trying and difficult times for a family. Usually, the soon-to-be patient experiences a health crisis that leaves relatives scrambling to figure out the best options available. Marilyn Fink and her family know this scenario all [Read more… ]
“Miss Jean, Chris is here!”
By Christina Gage, Housecall Providers Volunteer My phone chimes and the pop-up notice displays simply… Jean, reminding me that it’s time to get on the road. I hardly need the prodding, for Wednesday has quickly become my favorite day of the week. When I enter Adella’s Adult Foster Home, the women she cares for are [Read more… ]
